There are many examples in the prior art of various holders for beverage cans, paper cups, coffee cups, and so forth. A number of these prior references are discussed below.
Mousett, Design Patent Nos. Des. 229,153 and Des. 229,156, each show beverage can holders that are shaped to appear as beer mugs.
Moore, U.S. Pat. No. 1,389,594, discloses a paper cup holder having a truncated cone-like shape for receiving a substantial lower portion of a paper cup, whereby the paper cup is nestled within the holder and rests against the bottom of the latter. The holder is provided with a finger handle.
Prentice. U.S. Pat. No. 3,013,691 discloses a holder for beverage cans. The holder has a mug-like appearance, and is double walled in order to provide dead air spaces for thermally insulating a beverage can contained within the holder from ambient temperatures.
Studen. U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,682 discloses an insulated jacket of unicellular expanded polyethylene foam that is tubularly shaped and dimensioned for fitting snugly about a substantial portion of the lower portions of a drinking utensil, such as a cup or tumbler. The jacket may also serve as a coaster.
D'Ercoli, U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,795 discloses a reusable cup holder of truncated conical shape, and including a series of circumferential locking rings or ribs or grooves successively arranged about an uppermost portion of the interior wall of the holder, for mating with similar rings or grooves on a drinking cup placed within the holder, in order to better secure the cup within the holder. A protruding finger handle is provided on the holder.
Compton, U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,303 discloses a plastic nestable container having side walls diverging from top to bottom, and shoulder-like projections on the upper and lower portions of the outside of the container, for permitting easy nesting of the container or cups for purposes of shipment, storage, and disbursement. In this manner, separation of the cups is also resisted. A similar design for a cup is disclosed in Day, U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,120.
Coles, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,351 shows an insulated drinking cup of thermoplastic material. The mouth of the cup includes a wall portion that is turned over and downward to form an extending collar about the mouth. The collar extends circumjacent the upper inner portion of the cup, for providing a user with a holding collar that is substantially insulated from the inner wall of the cup, preventing the collar from becoming hot when hot beverages are contained within the cup.
Henderson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,525 teaches a one piece beverage insulator holder having an open top, and support base formed from an insulative foam material. The holder is dimensioned to fit snugly about a substantial portion of a beverage container.
Manns, U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,239 discloses another form of holder for containers. The holder includes an elongated, annular, sidewall and a bottom portion for forming a cylindrical interior portion for snugly fitting about a container to be held therein. A rim is provided on the outer surface of the annular sidewall.
Jeff, U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,023 discloses an insulated mug and beverage can holder consisting of a one-piece flexible ring-shaped retainer with an annular groove mounted on an upper rim of the insulated mug. The annular groove includes an outside lip that is slightly inwardly biased, and is slightly smaller in diameter than the outside of the flared or beaded portion of the mug to which it is fastened. The inner edge of the flexible retainer includes inwardly facing tabs, with the diameter of the inner edge being smaller than the diameter of a beverage can to be held within the mug, thereby providing positive retention of the beverage can within the mug. The base of the mug is recessed and similar in size and shape to the top of the mug, for permitting the flexible retainer to be stored on the base of the mug when it is being used as a drinking vessel.
It is known to provide beverage coolers in the form of a drinking mug. For example, a styrofoam cooler shaped in the form of a giant drinking mug is sold by "Promotions Unlimited", of Benton Harbor, Mich.